Category Archives: Ethics

NOT “UNDER LAW”? (1)

Culture, Ethics, Worldview December 13, 2016 Leave a comment

law-under-footPMT 2016-091 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Does God’s law apply to the new covenant era? Is postmillennialism lawless? Or does postmillennialism expect the worldwide influence of God’s law? Many Christians believe the law is God’s Law Emeritus. They believe the New Testament sets aside God’s law. But is this the case?

Many Christians believe that Paul sets aside the Old Testament law for “the law of Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 9:21, Paul wrote: “to those who are without law, [I am] as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.” The italicized phrases suggest that Paul here declares that in Christ — and, therefore, in the Christian era, our era — a new law prevails, which he calls: “the law of Christ.” This new law of Christ supplants the older law of God as the ethical norm for Christian behavior. Continue reading →

THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION AND THE WITNESS OF THE CHURCH

Church, Culture, Ethics August 9, 2016 Leave a comment

Abortion on demandPMT 2016-058 by Albert Mohler, Jr.

Gentry note:

The following article from Tabletalk magazine presents the challenge that is before the Church of Jesus Christ. We must pray for revival in the Church that she might arise and re-ignite the progress she promoted in years past. Postmillennialists are not naive: we recognize the downward trend we are currently experiencing. But we remain optimistic for the historical long-run: our God is in heaven and:

“He who sits in the heavens laughs, / The Lord scoffs at them. / Then He will speak to them in His anger / And terrify them in His fury, saying, /‘But as for Me, I have installed My King /Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” (Psa. 2:4–6)

However, Christians today need to be reminded: he uses his people in history to effect his will. This is why he has given us this prayer to pray publically, corporately, and believingly: “’Your kingdom come. Your will be done, / On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

Continue reading →

DECREED BORDERS

Culture, Ethics June 10, 2016 1 Comment

Border 1PMT 2016-041 by Don Strickland

 

Acts 17:24-26 “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, (25) nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (26) And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.”

Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry gave a commencement speech in which he spoke approvingly of a “borderless world.” Almost a week later, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) wrote an opinion piece for USA Today in which he stated that the coming presidential election will be a choice between nationalism and globalism. Will we remain a distinct nation, or lose our identity in the sea of the global community? Open borders, or nations without borders, is being pushed, and has been for years, throughout the countries comprising Western civilization – that is, those countries populated by the people native to Europe. Even otherwise theologically conservative Christian pastors have argued from a compassionate and/or evangelistic framework to justify the invasion crossing Europe’s and America’s borders. But what exactly does the Bible teach about national borders? Continue reading →

CHRIST, SALVATION, LAW & POSTMILLENNIALISM

Ethics, Optimism May 21, 2014 Leave a comment

Tables of lawPMT 2014-061 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
This is my final article on Jesus’ kingdom teaching and its endorsement of God’s Law. This is important for distinguishing postmillennialism from social gospel liberalism, which many falsely charge against the postmillennial hope.

Let us note:

 

Christ Perfectly Keeps the Law

The Scripture teaches that he comes to keep the Law: “Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; / In the scroll of the book it is written of me; / I delight to do Thy will, O my God; / Thy Law is within my heart” (Psa 40:7– 8). The writer of Hebrews applies this verse to him (Heb 10:5–7). He perfectly keep God’s Law in his own life: “I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love” (John 15:10b). Because of the nature of sin as transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4) Christ is sinless because he keeps the Law: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46). Continue reading →

GOD’S LAW AND MAN’S CULTURE

Ethics, Optimism May 19, 2014 Leave a comment

Moses and LawPMT 2014-060 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is my third article on the nature of the righteousness which postmillennialism expects to prevail in the world before Christ returns. Postmillennialism is not a form of social gospel liberalism. In fact, it is just the opposite. Social gospel liberalism operates in opposition to God’s Law, not in affirmation of it.

I have been focusing on Jesus’s own teaching regarding the Law. The New Testament, of course, has a lot more to say about the continuing relevance of God’s Law, but as the central person in the postmillennial hope, his teaching is especially instructive and encouraging.

I will now pick up where I left off in the previous article. I will point out four important observations in demonstrating Jesus’ endorsement of the Law. Continue reading →

Justifiable Lies in the Bible (part 2)

Ethics October 21, 2013 Comments: 39

PMT 2013-016b by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
See below for part 2 of a study on the ethics of justifiable lies. Continue reading →

Justifiable Lies in Biblical Ethics (Part 1)

Ethics October 18, 2013 1 Comment

PMT 2013-015b by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Below is a part 1 of a study on justifiable lying according to Scripture: Continue reading →